Wellston City Schools—$1,000 to support cultural trips for senior-year students and $5,000 to support technology that will enhance student achievement on STAR math assessments.

The Dixon Fund awards grants to nonprofit and local governmental organizations located in Jackson County that focus primarily on education and health issues. Award decisions are made by a board of trustees, who review applications submitted in the spring each year. The decisions are subject to approval of Community Foundations, Inc., which provides administrative and other support to the board. The board currently consists of two Dixon family members and Jackson County residents, including: Deborah Biggs of Jackson; Hon. Leonard Holzapfel of Wellston; Bonny Huffman of Wellston; Richard LeGrand of Jackson; Joyce McClurg of Oak Hill; and Dr. Ted Nichting of Jackson.

Following the 2016 awards process, Stan Lewis stepped down from the board after many years of dedicated service. Joyce McClurg of Oak Hill agreed to replace Mr. Lewis on the board. Ms. McClurg is an active member of the community, serving as an accompanist for the Oak Hill High School Choir, president of the Oak Hill Festival of Flags, member of the Beautify Oak Hill committee, and member of the Jackson County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Since 1996, the fund has made grants totaling more than $590,000. The fund is named in honor of J. Floyd Dixon. Born in 1887, Mr. Dixon was raised on a farm near Oak Hill and began a teaching career in the Wellston and Oak Hill schools. Mr. Dixon's service to the area's schools continued in 1920 with his appointment as superintendent of schools for Jackson County. He later taught in the education department at Ohio University (OU) in Athens and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Rio Grande University for his work at OU concerning extension programs.

Elizabeth Watson, Mr. Dixon's daughter, created the J. Floyd Dixon Memorial Fund to honor her father's service to education. Mrs. Watson attended an elementary school in Jackson. She later graduated from The Ohio State University, married, and moved to the East Coast. In 1977, Mr. and Mrs. Watson returned to Columbus to open what became central Ohio's largest nursing and rehabilitation facility. After her husband's death, Mrs. Watson continued to serve as the facility's president until 1996. Mrs. Watson passed away in 2003 and is survived by two sons, each of whom is involved with the fund's board.

The Dixon Fund is a component of Community Foundations, Inc.

About Community Foundations, Inc.

Community Foundations, Inc. was established in 1987 to enable donors to support nonprofit organizations primarily in the state of Ohio and beyond the central Ohio region. For more information, visit columbusfoundation.org or call 614/251-4000.